Month: April 2015

The next stop for the Skateboarding for Hope national tour presented by Vans is taking place at Stoneridge skate park in Edenvale, Johannesburg on Saturday, 2 May. Seasoned skaters will be on hand to present skateboarding clinics and novice skateboarders and underprivileged kids from the area are invited to come along between 09h00 and 17h00 to discover the magic of skateboarding.

The Skateboarding for Hope community outreach initiative is currently in its 5th year of operation and off to its fastest start yet with larger crowds and more youth in attendance as it makes various stops around the country. Since its inception, it has engaged with more than 100 000 people through the sport of skateboarding and has given away over 5 000 pairs of shoes, 10 000 T-shirts and almost 5 000 skateboards. The Northern Cape Provincial Government has been a great partner and has shown the vision to promote skateboarding as a way of addressing social issues in the country.

The Skateboarding for Hope road show is traveling throughout South Africa to promote skateboarding amongst local youth in the run-up to the Kimberley Diamond Cup skateboarding world championships presented by Kumba Iron Ore, a business unit of Anglo American, which will take place in Kimberley in the Northern Cape in October.

The event will also feature a TopGrom competition for kids aged thirteen and under and an open street contest for skaters aged 14 and older. TopGrom is a global campaign and has been incorporated into the Skateboarding for Hope tour for the first time this year. Skateboarding for Hope is a youth development initiative launched by the Northern Cape Provincial Government four years ago to promote skateboarding as an affordable and accessible leisure activity.

“The Northern Cape is very pleased that initiatives such as Skateboarding for Hope and free access to a world-class training facility like Kumba Skate Plaza are available to the youth of the Northern Cape and the rest of the world. It is amazing to see the growth, development and the progress in skateboarding skills among the youth in South Africa, but particularly in the Northern Cape,” mentions John Block, MEC for the Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism of the Northern Cape Provincial Government.

According to Tim McFerran, CEO of World Skateboarding Grand Prix, the integration of TopGromSA into the KDC series of events, allows the integration of South Africa’s youngest skaters into this prestigious world championship event. “We are very serious about supporting young skateboarders worldwide and to create opportunities for them to showcase their talent. This partnership is yet another way for us to grow skateboarding in South Africa and to engage with local youth to the sport.

The contest will also see some of the country’s top skaters go head-to-head for the opportunity to qualify for a wildcard entry into the amateur street contest at the world championship event at the world-class Kumba Skate Plaza in Kimberley from 7 – 10 October 2015.

“TopGrom was created with the vision of inviting skaters aged 13 and under from around the world to be part of something much larger than any local event,” stated co-founder Sean Bittle. “The opportunity to be affiliated with an event as prestigious as the Kimberley Diamond Cup will be ego food for groms across South Africa and around the world – it’s simply amazing,” affirmed Bittle.

For a detailed schedule of events, visit www.kimberleydiamondcup.com or connect with us on Twitter at KDiamondCup #kdcskate and KimberleyDiamondCup on Facebook.

Issued by Department of Economic Development and Tourism
On behalf of KIMBERLEY DIAMOND CUP

Witchdoctor Productions would like to inform you of the following. The At The Gates shows in May have been moved. Since booking At The Gates, they went on to win a Swedish Grammy, this has placed additional workload on the band and will lead to a conflict in May which has the potential to negatively impact on the show. In order to make good on the shows, At The Gates have been confirmed for WITCHFEST 2016. To make this even better they will not be coming alone. We can now also confirm that The Haunted will be at WITCHFEST 2016.

IF you bought a ticket for At The Gates through Computicket, please speak to them for a refund. Tickets bought through Witchdoctor Productions can be refunded or the money can be moved towards a ticket for WITCHFEST 2016, please email info@witchdoctorproductions.com.

They apologise for the inconvenience and look forward to seeing you at WITCHFEST 2016.

“In agreement with Witchdoctor Productions we have decided to move our club show appearances in May 2015 to an exclusive appearance on WITCHFEST 2016. Logistical and financial issues made the completion of these shows impossible. We apologize for this, and hope to see you on WITCHFEST 2016. Thanks for your understanding.” – At The Gates

Once again Witchdoctor Productions is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the South African heavy music scene by bringing At the Gates out for 2 shows at the end of May 2015. This will be the 1st time the band plays on African soil, a dream come true for many South African metal heads.

At the Gates is a Swedish death metal band from Gothenburg, and a major progenitor of the melodic death metal sound which laid the foundation for bands such as Killswitch Engage, Trivium and As I Lay Dying.

Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a reunion tour before breaking up once again in 2008. However, they reformed for a second time in December 2010, and have since continued to perform live. The band released At War with Reality, their first album in 19 years, in late 2014.

Some of the thousands of local kids that have lined up to attend weekly free skateboarding clinics at the Kumba Skate Plaza in Kimberley, Northern Cape.

Kimberley gets its own grand slam skateboarding event

Skateboarding enthusiasts in the Northern Cape can look forward to one of the biggest skateboarding events in the country when the Midway Mayhem takes place at the Kumba Skate Plaza on Saturday, 18 April. The event falls exactly halfway between the 2014 and 2015 Kimberley Diamond Cup skateboarding world championships presented by Kumba Iron Ore, a business unit of Anglo American.

According to John Block, MEC for the Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism of the Northern Cape Provincial Government, Midway Mayhem sports a unique character. “Now only in its second year, the event has become legendary in skateboarding circles and is completely different from any other skateboarding events hosted in the country. It is not only a really tough contest, but it also allows participants to enjoy the community of skateboarding. It sends a message that the world championships are on the way and renews interest in our world-class skate park, which has become a global phenomenon,” mentions Block.

As the best skate plaza in Africa, the Kimberley facility is the only one of its kind in the world offering free access, training clinics and contests all-year round. Thousands of skaters are drawn to the state-of-the-art facility on an annual basis and it has become one of the key tourism attractions in the capital city of South Africa’s largest province.

Yvonne Mfolo, Executive Head of Public Affairs of presenting sponsor Kumba Iron Ore, welcomes the event back to the province. “The Northern Cape government has identified the sport of skateboarding as an appropriate vehicle to promote the province as the ultimate adventure and extreme sport destination, while simultaneously making a significant contribution to youth development. As a company, we’ve had the privilege of observing the positive impact this programme has had on local communities and are proud to offer our support.”

This year’s Midway Mayhem is billed as a Grand Slam event during which top skateboarders will be able to qualify for the KDC skateboarding world championships in October. At the same time, it will also feature a Skateboarding for Hope tour stop with skateboarding clinics for underprivileged youth from the region. The top street skater will walk away with one of the top prize purses available in South Africa.

Midway Mayhem will feature five different categories, including contests for 13 & Under TOPGROM skaters, riders aged 14 & Over, women street skaters, vert skaters and the Rider Cup team contest. The street contests will feature a novel format not often seen in South African competitions with the top skaters going head to head in the finals. Midway Mayhem is also one of the few contests showcasing the vert skating talent in the country and the depth of skills of local female skateboarders.

Registration starts at 09h00 followed by Skateboarding for Hope clinics, qualifiers and finals in each category. Live entertainment will be provided during the lunch break and the prize-giving is scheduled for 18h15.

“Where should I start? I love skateboarding and what it has too offer, but most of all how far it’s got me. This has been in the works for a hot sec now. It’s incredible to watch something you’ve put so much hard work towards unfold into the most amazing thing. I couldn’t have done this without my incredible friend Lawrence Mccullum. Words cannot explain how thankful, blessed, and honored I am to do what I do. Hope you all enjoy yourselves. OH AND KEEP SKATING.” – Thalente

Canvas by Grolsch recently did an interview with Skullboy. They spoke to him about how he started in art, why he uses only black and gold, what inspires him, and some other things.

He also mentioned the upcoming collab with Verb Skateboards:“Also, I’m working on a range of products for Verb Skateboards at the moment, which we’ll be launching around midyear. Another great project with some great people.”

The Dust Crew heads north to Duffeland, California for a weekend of filming. Don Luong takes over the Pocket Cam this time around with Aidan Campbell, Corey Glick, Cole Wilson, Joey Ragali and Cairo Foster.